The use generally of interior liners in garments to wick moisture away from the wearer is known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,014, issued Jul. 25, 1995, discloses a garment in the form of shorts which incorporates a suspended moisture management multi-layered panel within the interior thereof for wicking moisture from the skin during garment wear. The suspended panel is attached at one end thereof to a front waist area of the garment and attached at a second end thereof to a back seat area of the garment, the panel passing under the lower crotch area of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,697, issued Jun. 4, 1974, discloses a pair of pants comprising two hip pieces, front and back wings joined to lateral edges of the hip portions and a waistband portion. Vertical front and back seams join right and left sides of the garment, each comprising a hip portion, a front wing and a back wing. Opposite lateral edges of the hip pieces have upper portions that are convexly curved and diverge from a median axis and lower portions that are approximately straight. In one embodiment the waistband portion is formed by integral portions joining the front and back wings on each side. In another embodiment the waistband is a separate piece. The pants may have short legs or long legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,118, issued Jul. 31, 1984, discloses a method for assembling pants from two substantially identical fabric panels using flat plane seams for joining the two panels. The pants are assembled according to the sequential steps of first positioning one of the panels in a plane, then overlaying the other of the panels on the first panel. Then the crotch seam regions of the first panel are joined to the corresponding overlying crotch seam regions of the second panel to form two flat plane segments of the crotch seam. Then, the leg portion of one of the panels is folded 180 degrees about a first fold axis which passes through the junction points of the contiguous inseam and crotch regions of the panel. Thereafter, the panels are folded 180 degrees about a second fold axis passing between the first and second sides, so that the inseam regions of each panel are mutually adjacent. Finally, the adjacent inseam regions are joined thereby forming the flat plane inseam, and also joining the two segments of the crotch seam to form flat plane crotch seam. With this configuration, the pants are formed with the two panels entirely with the flat plain seam joining techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,462, issued Apr. 1, 1969, discloses a trouser construction including a pair of pant leg elements each having an upper edge which at the front portions thereof extends to the waist, and which curves downwardly and rearwardly from the portion to extend across the seat thereof along a line parallel to the rear of the waist, the side and rear portions of the upper edges of the leg elements being interconnected to a yoke element commencing at the outer ends of the upper edge of each of the leg elements, and extending rearwardly therearound.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,663,876, issued Dec. 29, 1953, discloses a body garment and cargo pocket for the garment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,296, issued Mar. 29, 1994 discloses a multi-layer moisture management elastic fabric including a moisture transport fabric layer constructed of hydrophobic yarns and defining a first fabric face for residing in skin contact during garment wear and for wicking moisture away from the skin. A moisture dispersal fabric layer is constructed of hydrophilic yarns and defines a second fabric face for residing in spaced-apart relation from the skin during garment wear and for receiving moisture from the hydrophobic moisture transport layer. The patent teaches the use of the multi-layer moisture management elastic fabric in the construction of men's briefs as well as other types of garments.
None of the above-identified patents teach the combination of structural elements disclosed and claimed herein which cooperate in a unique manner to provide a garment particularly suitable for hiking, climbing or other strenuous activities and which allow a backpack or waist belt to be worn comfortably when in engagement with the garment.